Overhead electric trolley-wire.



no. ma's; Patentgd" me. 3o, |902.

vJ. P. CRIBB. UVERHEAD ELECTRIC TBDLLEY WIRE.-

(Applieman am supe. s, 190s.) (Nn Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT f OFFICE.

JOSEPH PRESTON ORIBB, OF SOUTHSEA, ENGLAND.

OVERHEAD 'ELECTRIC TROLLEY-WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.'7l6,988, dated December 30, 1902. Application led September 8, 1902- Serial No. 122,552. (No model.)

To a/ZZ zzz/"2,0711, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH PRESTON ORIBB, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 76 Montgomerie road, Southsea, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Connections with Overhead Electric Trolley-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in connection with overhead electric trolleywires, the object being to provide means for interrupting the passage of the currentwhen a trolley-wire breaks, and so prevent injury to persons round about.

In carrying my invention into eectl proceed as follows, making reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side view showing how the current passes; Fig. 2, a sectional side view showing how the current is interrupted when the trolley-wire breaks, and Fig. 3 an end View.

I provide two parallel cheeks a, separated by a cross-piece b, the whole being made of one piece of metal or joined up. Upward through the cross-piece b is passed a bolt c, having a square shoulder to prevent itV turning around, and between the cheeks ais bolted a block of ebonite or other insulating material CZ, having through it a holel to firmly hold the copper rod or bridge c of suliicient length to extend considerably beyond each end of the block d, the ends of the said bridge e being made conical. The shape of the cheeks a is such as to provide two ears f, between which are pivoted on bolts g the trips h, having insulating-bushes t', bored so as to allow the trips to turn freely on the bolts g. The trips 7L have upstanding portions j, each provided with a conical hole to receive one end of the bridge e. Each of the trips h is bored at 7c to receive the opposing ends of trolley-wire Z, the lengths of the parts so bored being such as will prevent theopposing ends of the wire coming in contact with one another. The trolley-wires Z are soldered or otherwise fastened in the holes 7c, and while each part of the wire remains unbroken the upstanding ends j are inl contact with the ends of the bridge e and the current passes from one part of the Wire up its respective trip across the bridge down the other trip to the other part of the Wire. When, however, the wire breaks, the respective trip overbalances and causes the upstanding endj to fall away from the end of the bridge e, and so interrupt the passage of the current.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an appliance for interrupting the passage of the current on the breaking of an overhead electric trolley-Wire; two cheeks facing one another; a cross-piece connecting the cheeks at one end; a bolt passed upward through the said cross-piece; an insulatingblock between the said cheeks; aconical-ended copper rod passed lengthwise through the said insulating-block and having its ends extending considerably therebeyond; an ear at each of the free corners of the cheeks; a cross-bolt passed through each opposing pair of ears; a trip to each of the said bolts and having an insulated hole to turn freely on the said bolts and between the cheeks of the appliance; vertical extensions of each trip to form removable contacts with their respective conical ends of the longitudinal copper rod above mentioned and horizontal extensions of each trip `to carry the ends of the trolley-wire, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to Vthis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH PRESTON CRIBB.

Witnesses:

G. PARKER BLAKE, ALBERT I. LARCOME. 

